1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat dissipating structure for an integrated circuit (IC) chip in a plasma display module, where the heat dissipating performance of the IC chip is improved while preventing the spread of foreign material throughout the module from the heat dissipating structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plasma display devices are widely considered to be the best replacement for conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) display devices. A plasma display device contains a discharge gas sealed between two substrates on which a plurality of electrodes are formed. In a plasma display device, a voltage is applied to the electrodes to generate discharge which excites a phosphor material to generate visible light.
The plasma display device includes a plasma display module, which commonly includes a plasma display panel and a driving device for driving the plasma display panel. The driving device includes circuit elements mounted on a circuit board that are electrically connected to the plasma display panel using a signal transmitting member. The signal transmitting member includes a plurality of conductive lines, and at least a portion of the conductive lines pass through an IC chip.
When the plasma display panel is driven, the IC chip generates a lot of heat. A conventional heat dissipating structure for the IC chip cannot effectively dissipate this heat, leading to a reduction in performance and lifespan of the IC chip. Thus, it has become necessary to develop a heat dissipating structure for an IC chip that can effectively dissipate heat from the IC chip.
Also, the heat dissipating structure includes materials having high thermal conductivity. However, such materials can also be apt to generate foreign material. If this foreign material spreads throughout the plasma display device, many problems can occur, such as short circuiting. Therefore, what is also needed is a heat dissipating structure that prevents against the negative effects of foreign material.